


A War Of Wills

by ReaganJenelle



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Forced Marriage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible adult themes later on, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Slow Burn, The First Order, the resistance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 19:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11492808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaganJenelle/pseuds/ReaganJenelle
Summary: Cleora Vence flees her home planet, Anoth, to escape the fate of all young woman on this planet controlled by the First Order. She learns of the Resistance from the infamous pilot, Poe Dameron, and decides to fight for her freedom. After a year in the Resistance, Cleora finds herself ensnared by the deadly Kylo Ren.





	1. The Matted Wookie

**Author's Note:**

> Her everyone. So I decided to take this in a slightly different direction than most fits out there. Cleora (pronounced clee-or-ah) will not be force sensitive. Feedback, both positive and less positive are always welcome!

My parents slept soundly in the room next to mine. The quiet atmosphere disturbed only by the sound of me slipping into my well worn leather boots. I would miss my home and it's dancing fields of grain. But staying wasn't an option. Not of I wanted to live.

Fifteen years had past since the First Order invaded Anoth, my home planet. Anyone who resisted was swept aside without mercy or thought. Troops of white armored men marched though the streets killing any and everyone who tried to fight back. It took five days for the government to collapse. I heard that was longer than most. By the time the urgent news of what was happening reached the New Republic, Adma, our ruler, had been forced to sign a treaty that made the invasion legal. 

No one lifted a hand as they took over the planet. No one batted an eyelash as boys were ripped from their homes and forced to join their ranks or when young woman were snatched up to be given away like prizes.

Thats why I was leaving before I could become of age and be auctioned of to some faceless First Order officer. I wanted something more than that.

My parents knew nothing of what I was doing or where I was going. It was safer that way. For them, and for me. They didn't need the danger, and I didn't need the goodbyes. 

Smoothing out the wrinkles of my trousers, I reached for the letter my parents would find in my place. It wasn't anything extravagantly written with declarations to avenge my planet or its people. When the time had come to write it, hardly any words had come to me at all.

_I love you. I'll see you again._

_Cleora_

The off white paper looked alien against the warm brown blanket on my bed. Paper was rarely used anymore because of technological advances. Even printed books were rare and often coveted. I cast one last look at my small, cluttered room that had been my safe haven for my short twenty years of life. There would be no going back.  Making sure I had my credits in my pocket, I closed my door with a soft  _click!_ and walked away from the only family I had in favor of a chance of a better life.

The night was young, and it would take several hours of walking to reach the bustling city where I would meet my contact and make my bid for freedom. The dirt road crunched under my feet, and the wind pulled at the loose stands of my hair. Only the light of the stars guided my way though the thin grove of trees on the edge of my father's property.

My heart pounced loudly in my chest. This was treason, and the punishment was almost certainly death if I was caught. My feet began to ache as time past and the new moon rose high in the night sky. Eventually dirt gave way to pavement.

The port city of Jenth rose before me like giant teeth protruding into the air. Towering structures blotted out the sky and the stench of emissions stung my nose. Creatures and beings from different worlds moved about in a great rushing bustle of impatients. Speeders of all shapes and sizes raced past with little regard for those walking the streets or their safety. Joining the crowd was easy. Navigating it, however, was a different matter entirely. 

I kept my eyes peeled for our meeting point, the Matted Wookie. A shoulder bumped roughly into mine making me stumble. I mumbled a quick apology to the angry looking twi'lek and hurried  away. The more time past, the more fear began to creep over my shoulder.  _What if he grew tired of waiting and left? What if he turned me in?_

"Hey, do you wanna buy some death sticks?" A rough voice asked from the shadows.

I stopped in my tracks, looking into the alley to my left where a humanoid stood, trench coat pulled slightly open as he pointed to white inch long sticks. His skin was an ashy gray, and his eyes were beady, and black. Two antennas curved out the top of his head. Someone shoved me from behind, knocking me forward and closer to the seedy looking huminoid.

"Oh, I, um, no thank you." I stumbled over my words. He moved to disappear into the shadows, any interest in me lost.

"Wait!" I called frantically,  reaching out my hand towards him. He paused, eyeing me sceptically. "I'm looking for a cantina, the Matted Wookie. Do you know where I can find it?"

He eyed me for a moment.  His beady eyes calculating and greedy. "It'll cost ya."

"I can pay you fifty credits now, and fifty when we get there." I fished around in my bag for the money before holding it out to him.

He snatched it from my hand before turning back onto the alley and walking quickly. I steeled myself before following. For a moment I found myself wondering of what I was doing was smart, but then again I didnt have time to be smart. The building became more run down the longer we walked, and the people more gritty. I suddenly found myself hoping that I hadn't made a mistake by following such a shady character.

"There." The humanoid said, pointing towards a run down building with a flickering neon sign.

I passed the rest of the money to the shady creature with shaking hands. If a hundred credits was what it took to get me here, I was just lucky I had it. Once the money was in his hands the man took off, once again melting into the shadows. I watched the space where he had disappeared for a moment before looking at the bar in front of me. Two bith stood outside smoking from long pipe. I offered them a nervous smile that they ignored. I pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit room.

The air was stale with liquor and smoke. Two Twi'lek danced on stage, grinding their hips and hands running down their scantily clothed blue bodies. I looked away, embarrassed by such a display and scanned the room. It stood mostly emptie. A few men were crowded around the stage, leering at the dancers. In a dark corner sat the man I was looking for. I approached him, unsure of what to do. He gestured for me to sit across from him in the booth.

Poe Dameron hadn't changed in the six months since I had met him. Dark curls brushed his forehead just above his warm brown eyes. A dusting of stubble stood out along his strong jaw. He smiled at me in a reassuring way. He was handsome and, hopefully, my savior.

"Glad you made it, Cleora." He said earnestly. 

I nodded, unable to make my tongue move to respond. Poe slid a blaster across the grimy table towards me. I cast a look at the other patrons, but no one seemed the least bit interested in us. I reached out and grabbed the blaster.

"I figured you wouldn't have one." He shifted forward, putting his arms on the table in front of him. "Things are going to happen fast, and I can't guarantee your safety."

"I understand." My voice shook slightly. 

I weighed the weapon in my hands. You didn't grow up on a farm without learning how to work a blaster. Not if you wanted to protect your crops from anything that comes looking for trouble.

"Now comes the hard part." He smiled slightly as he paused some sort of wrap towards me. I picked it up, eyebrows drawn. "Put that on. It should make it easier for us to make it off the planet."

"What is it?"

"A pregnancy suit. Once it's on, it'll give you the appearance of being extremely pregnant. You'll be needing this, as well." He handed me a simple golden ring. "You'll be posing as my wife. This should keep anyone from stopping us."

My face grew hot at the thought of posing as Poe's pregnant wife. I swallowed down my embarrasment.

"Then why do I need the blaster?" I asked.

"Just incase." He replied easily. "Now, we're scheduled to leave in the morning to avoid any suspicion. I have a room at a nearby hotel for us to go to until it's time to leave."

I drew my eyebrows together in confusion. "We're not leaving now?"

Poe shook his head. "It will be easier for us to get off world first thing in the morning when most of the cargo ships are leaving. That way the First Order is too occupied with them to look at us closely."

Poe waited for me to change outside the bathroom. My hands shook violently as I strapped the cloth over my bare stomach. Once secured, it grew andprotruding away from me. I put my tunic back on and inspected myself in the mirror. My belly appeared big and round as of I were nearing the end of a pregnancy. It was so strange to see myself like this. I looked like a frightened young mother. After I slid the wedding band over my finger, I stepped out of the cantina's bathroom. 

"All set." Poe said when he took in my appearance.

I swallowed nervously. What if we were discovered? What if someone recegnized me?

Poe placed his arm around  my shoulders in a reassuring way. "Relax, Cleora. We'll be on my ship and off this planet in less than six hours."

My chest tightened. Was it really so soon? I allowed Poe to lead my through the streets and I became lost in thought. When we left,  _if_ we made it, then I would never be able to return. The gentle rolling hills and scattered trees would no longer be home for me. I don't want to leave. I want to stay with my family and harvest this year's crops. I want to fall asleep among the stocks of grain in the warm afternoon sun. But if I were to turn back now, my life wouldn't be mine to control. A squad of Troopers and an officer of the First Order would come for me. I would be removed, forcefully if they say fit, and ship off to marry the man who chose me nearly a year before.

I blinked away the stinging behind my eyes. Now was not the time to cry. There would time later when I was alone. After I was free.

We reached a small hotel where Poe led me towards a door with chipping paint. A quick swipe of his key card granted us access the the shabby room. As he closed the door behind us, a small orange shot towards us from the center of the room. It whistled and whirled loudly, it's strange round body unable to keep still. I stepped back in fright at it's sudden appearance. 

They know.

Fear gripped my in its unforgiving hands.

"Whoa, there buddy!" Poe said in fond amusement. "Calm down."

My fear evaporated at Poe's reaction though my hands still shook with the sudden adrenalin rush. We were okay. The First Order had no reason to suspect us. I repeated this to myself, finding some comfort in it.

The droid whistled.

"This is the girl I was telling you about." Poe replied. He looked over at me with an easy smile. "Cleora, this is my droid, BB-8."

The droid turned it's attention to me and whirled happily in what I assumed to be a greeting. 

"Hello, BB-8." My voice sounded weary to my ears.

It continued to make happy noises as Poe talked to it. I found the sight strange. Having never seen interacted with a droid, I was unsure of what to make of it. My father held a great mistrust for all droids, and refused to buy any. Because of this I had never been this close to one.

"You should try and get some rest." Poe told me, gesturing to the misshapen bed in the corner of the small room. "We can't have you nodding off when it's time to make our escape."

I nodded and moved over to the pitiful bed. The pregnancy wrap made it silghtly uncomfortable to lay down, but I wanted to be ready to leave at a moments notice. My body was tired. My mind, however, was restless. Less than six hours. Time dragged on. Poe talked quietly to the droid on the other side of the room. I stared at the wall. The sounds of the city leaked in though the walls. It seemed I wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. Minutes passed with dragging feet. I closed my eyes if only for a change of scenery. Light trickled through the closed curtains. I rolled onto my back. 

Someone shook my shoulder, jolting me awake. "Its time." Poe stood next to the bed. 

I nodded and stood slowly, shaking off the small amount of sleep I was able to get. BB-8 greeted me happily and rolled towards me. I offered it a small smile, too nervous to speak. 

This was it. We were leaving Anoth.

I slung my bag across my chest and grabbed the blaster. It felt heavy in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I slid it into my waist band.

Poe walked me out of the hotel room and towards the hanger his ship was waiting in. Once on the main street, he placed an arm protectively around my shoulders as BB-8 followed slilently. I supposed Poe and I really must have looked like a married couple because no one looked at us twice. My heart was beating loudly in my ears and I could feel sweat beading on my brow despite the cool morning air. The cool metal of my hidden blaster offered me a small comfort. Poe oozed confidence, as though he had done this before. He probably had. I found a small comfort in this knowledge. We could do this.  An armoured guard stood at the entrance the the hanger checking the papers of everyone who passed through. I could feel myself shake violently when we were stopped before him. The man wore a crisp black uniform and hat. His face was severe as he eyed us.

"State your business." He said harshly.

"My wife and I are traveling home to Yavin 4." Poe said easily.

"Names and papers."

"Poe and Cleora Dameron." Poe said as he handed over a few papers.

The officer looked them over. He looked between Poe, BB-8 and I before handing them back. "Very well. Move along."

It wasn't until after we stepped inside the hanger that I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. We were almost there. Poe led me to a ship and ushered me up the ramp.

It was just big enough for the two of us and the droid with a small bunk inside. I sat down on in the co-pilot's chair as Poe started to flip switches and check readings. The ship hummed to life around us. When ship lifted up I felt myself begin to relax.  We had done it.


	2. The Resistance

Space was different than I had imagined. In hyperspace, the stars around you become blurred lines rather than distant specs of light. I hadn't expected that, or how cold it would be. Another shiver ran through me. No, I hadn't anticipated the cold. 

About an hour after we'd made it off Anoth, Poe had suggested I get some sleep. Easier said than done. I stared at the metal ceiling listening the the hum of the ship. I fell in and out of sleep for a few hours before I finally gave up and joined Poe in the cockpit.

"What comes next for you?" He asked after a moment.

"I don't know. The only family I had was on Anoth." I told him. It was harder than I thought to leave everything behind. 

"The way I see it, you have two options. You can run, or you can stand and fight. The Resistance can help you."

My eyebrows drew together. "Fight to do what? Take back my planet? I'm not a soldier."

"You're stronger than you think." Poe said, eyes burning. "We need people like you, Cleora. People who can help put an end to the First Order."

I looked at my hands in my lap. Escaping from a life as a prisoner was one thing. To join something like the Resistance and fight was something else entirely. 

Instead of answering I asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the Resistance headquarters. They can help you get on your feet and start a new life if that's what you want. You don't have to have your answer now. I just want you to know you have options."

Options. That was new. Back home I knew what was planned for my life. I never had to think about it, was permited to think about it. Now, out here, I had a choice. Run or fight. Fight or run.

Poe shook my shoulder. I must have dosed off in my chair. I looked around, rubbing sleep from my eyes. A blue and green planet grew steadily closer. 

"We're almost there." Poe said. He flipped a switch. "This is black leader requesting permission to land, over."

A woman's voice came over the speakers. "Permission to land has been granted."

Poe flew the ship into the atmosphere. "Welcome to D'Quar." He said with a smile.

I watched in awe as he landed the ship gracefully on a landing platform. I followed him off the ship, and sacked in a deep breath. The air felt damp and muggy. Something I wasn't use to on Anoth where there was next to no humidity.

My home planet had been made up of lakes and praries and the occasional grove of trees. Rolling hills and trees dotted the landscape on D'Quar, giving it a mysterious aura. But then, I suppose, it was due more to the fact that I had never been anywhere but Anoth before.

Poe must have noticed how overwhelmed I felt. "Take your time."

I nodded, grateful. The back of my eyes stung at the sudden realization that I would never go home. That I might never see my parents again. I closed my eyes and willed back the tears. There would be time to morn the extreme measures I had been forced to take. This was the price for freedom.

Taking a steaming breath, I joined Poe on the platform. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leading me towards a group of waiting people. 

The group was made up mostly of woman. They had a hard look about them, as if they had seen many tragedies and overcome hardship. In the center stood a small and graceful woman. Her hair was mostly grey, and her face was well worn. She smiled.

"Poe, I'm glad to see you've returned safely."

"General." Poe bowed his head in respect. "Allow me to introduce Cleora Vence, the young woman I told you about."

The woman turned her kind eyes on me. "Welcome, Cleora. I am Leia Organa, leader of the Resistance. I'm pleased you made it to us safely."

I pushed down my sudden nerves. "Thank you."

"If you're up to it, I would like to hear the state of thing on Anoth."

"Of course." I told her after a nudge from Poe.

I trailed behind the group, feeling out of place. Leia Organa was a well know figure as both leader of the Rebel Alliance, and sister to Luke Skywalker. My mother had told me about her. She was a strong woman who had witnessed the destruction of her planet at the hands of the Empire. Through that loss, she was able to rise above it, and held a large part in the defeat of the Empire, and creation the the New Republic. She was shorter than I had imagined.

Leia and Poe spoke as I was led into an elevator that took us below the surface. 

"It appears the hold they have over Anoth is absolute." Poe stated.

Leia nodded gravely. "Their treaty guarantees their power."

We entered a large room full of people and computers. Technicians worked diligently at their stations, gathering data and sending it out. Leia led us to a conference table, gesturing for me to be seated. I did as I was bid. Once everyone was seated, they turned their eyes on me.

"How old were you during the invasion?" Leia asked.

"I would have been five." My voice sounded rough.

"It could help us prevent the First Order from taking over more planets if we knew how the invasion worked." She continued. "Can you tell us what you remember?"

"It was late when they came. I had already gone to bed. No one really knew what was happening. My father later told me that there had been no warning. One moment everything was quiet, and the next-" I swallowed past a lump that was forming. Back home this was common knowledge. We didn't have to talk about it because everyone knew.

"My family and I lived in a small farming village. The cities were attacked first. Withing a few days the stormtroopers made it to our home. Anyone who fought back was killed. Government officials were dragged into the streets and shot. We were lucky. Almost everyone in our village made it through unharmed. After a new government was established, there were two major laws put in place. All eligible males were to be drafted into the stormtrooper program, and woman who came of age could be selected as wives for officers of the First Order. Pyrus, my younger brother, was taken a week later."

A heavy silence surrounded us, the weight of their sympathy crushing my chest. The day my brother had been taken from us had been the worst in my life. Mother had retreated so far into herself it took all my father had to get her to eat. At five years old, I couldn't understand what was happening. As the years past and I started to grow into a pretty teenager, my parents tried their best to keep me from sight. 

"You're a brave woman, Cleora. Not many would have the courage to do what you have." Leia said, voice soft. 

"Giving girls away as like cattle." Any older man said in disgust. "To stoop so low."

"We must find a way to put an end to this." 

"You- you didn't know?" I asked, eyebrows drawn. 

"The First Order has many secrets they would rather keep from coming to light. This one is no different." Leia said.

I slumped back in my chair as they all continued to discuss what could be done. So no one knew what was happening on Anoth. It seemed as far as the New Republic was concerned, the First Order was simply using our planet as a source of grain. For the first time anger replaced fear for what had happened. If no one was aware, how could anything change? What hope was there?

"We'll continue this later. For now, I think it best to let Cleora eat and get some much needed rest." Leia said, drawing an end to the discussion.

Poe stood up next to me. "You heard the General." He winked at me. "Come on, I'll take you."

My cheeks flamed. Not for the first time I noticed how handsome the olive skinned pilot was. He had an aura of charm about him that was hard not to notice. As Poe led me away, I couldn't help but feel grateful to Leia. It was hard hearing them talk about my planet like it was some strategic move they were planning.

The dinning hall was by far the largest room I had ever been in. People of all different species sat at tables, talking and laughing. It was nice. I'd never seen so many lively people in one place before. Poe watched me as I eyed the food, an amused smile lighting up his face. It was unlike anything from Anoth. The meat was tender and fell apart in my mouth, and the fruit was sweet, exploding in my mouth with flavor.

"What is this? I asked around my full mouth.

"The fruit is grown native here, honeydew melon. I think the meat is shawda." Poe answered.

"It's really good."

For a while we ate in silence. Then- "You left before they would take you?"

I swallowed the food in my mouth. "Yeah. I was selected to be the wife of a General."

"When were you selected?" He asked cautiously.

"When I turned twenty. At twenty-one I would have been taken. Thats in two weeks." I told him slowly.

"Do you know what General?"

"Armitage Hux."


End file.
